If Exeter go up that'll be two community-owned clubs promoted from League 2 this,year with Portsmouth going-up as well and following on from AFC Wimbledon last year.
Could be a double-header for the City of Exeter if the Chief's beat Saracen's-Twickenham on the Saturday,Wembley the next day.

If Exeter go up that'll be two community-owned clubs promoted from League 2 this,year with Portsmouth going-up as well

Exeter have done really well. Personally I'd give a lot of the credit for that to Tisdale, and suggest that any club he was managing, whatever it's ownership model, would have a good chance to thrive. And does anyone doubt that if Trust members had been allowed to vote on whether Tisdale should be immediately slung out on his ear earlier in the season, that they wouldn't have overwhelmingly chosen that option, and helped him pack his bags and then have driven him to the station ?

As for Portsmouth, isn't there every likelihood that it'll be only a matter of days, possibly weeks at the most before Pompey fans decide to free their club from the shackles of 'Community' ownership ? If Portsmouth kick off next season as a Trust owned club, I'll be very surprised.

If Exeter go up that'll be two community-owned clubs promoted from League 2 this,year with Portsmouth going-up as well

Exeter have done really well. Personally I'd give a lot of the credit for that to Tisdale, and suggest that any club he was managing, whatever it's ownership model, would have a good chance to thrive. And does anyone doubt that if Trust members had been allowed to vote on whether Tisdale should be immediately slung out on his ear earlier in the season, that they wouldn't have overwhelmingly chosen that option, and helped him pack his bags and then have driven him to the station ?

As for Portsmouth, isn't there every likelihood that it'll be only a matter of days, possibly weeks at the most before Pompey fans decide to free their club from the shackles of 'Community' ownership ? If Portsmouth kick off next season as a Trust owned club, I'll be very surprised.

However, Alpine, in your obsession to discredit community ownership, you neglect to acknowlegde that these clubs have done well under community ownership. Look at the shell of a club that Exeter were in 2003. And regardless of whether Pompey revert to private ownership, they have stabilised and progressed under community ownership.

You refer to the notion that Trust members wanted Tisdale out - some of whom did, but not all - as if private ownership is the only way you would have sensible decisions made about a manager.

We only have to look at Torquay United to see that private ownership rarely summons up a decent manager.

However, Alpine, in your obsession to discredit community ownership, you neglect to acknowlegde that these clubs have done well under community ownership.

Torregull had just one-sidedly drawn attention to how well these clubs had done under Community ownership, but where was your demand that he balance his comments by also mentioning Trust owned clubs doing less well ?, or maybe adding a link to let us know it's not a big wide world of unending praise for Supporters Trusts ? Bolton Wanderers

While not asking for or expecting a level playing field, if the spectrum of allowable opinion continues to be drawn ever tighter, then will TUST actually benefit if every dissenting voice is silenced ? Whether it's having to jump through hoops such as being issued with a set of questions to correctly answer, or to have to routinely endure the personal attacks as threelittlepigs does, should he wish to express his viewpoint, or as you'll no doubt have noticed, the 'tampering' with my account at TFF, it's all mild intimidation targeted specifically at those who dare deviate from the approved opinion.

If you truly want balance then demand it from all. The more likely outcome from the current actions we witness is that the scales will be tipped totally in one direction; but the Forums will ultimately be all the poorer for it.

A quick mention here for Exeter Chiefs: they score a try in the final minute at Sandy Park today, beating Saracens 18-16 in front of a twelve-and-a-half-thousand crowd to reach the sell-out final at Twickenham. Good luck to them too.

A quick mention here for Exeter Chiefs: they score a try in the final minute at Sandy Park today, beating Saracens 18-16 in front of a twelve-and-a-half-thousand crowd to reach the sell-out final at Twickenham. Good luck to them too.

The question is: whatever happened to Torquay Athletic RFC ?

Torquay Athletic haven't been a sizeable rugby team since like forever, their peak was in 1900-20. The highest they've ever been in the professional era is in the 5th tier and that was a while ago, it should be noted that the 5th tier of rugby is well well well beyond the set up/infrastructure of the fifth tier of football. Hell even Brixham and Newton Abbot are better clubs in South Devon.

If anything it's a blessing, the South Devon region barely supports it's football club at the best of times, imagine if we had to compete against a club of the size of the Cornish Pirates, let alone the Chiefs - who we do ever so moderately compete against, I wouldn't be surprised if some of our fairweather support has go to Sandy Park over the past five years. For what it's worth it's much better value for your money.

Not in my opinion, but then I am not a great rugby fan. Have been once , paid £40 for a seat in the South
Stand, pitch level, 30 yards behind the posts, couldnt see anything at the far end

That is a pity although I suppose not being a rugby fan does make a difference. Unfortunately you did choose the worst section of the ground for your one and only visit. I have sat in the front row of that stand, for the Premiership semi-final win against Wasps last year, as it was the only place I could get a ticket for that game. Although not a perfect view I thoroughly enjoyed that game.

Yesterday of course was even better. Beating the European champions with a try in the very last seconds. Only 7 of the Chiefs starting line up are internationals, wheras only 2 of the Saracens starters have not played international rugby. The other difference was the number of home grown players including internationals in the Chiefs line up, the two Chiefs tries being scored by a Cornishman and a Torquay lad. I was in East Terrace North Section with a perfect view and with the two Chiefs tries happening right below me.

With the Grecians at Wembley and the Chiefs at Twickenham next week, whatever the Janners may say the vibrant city of Exeter is the sporting capital of the South West.

Of interest to ourselves at TUFC of course is that to progress the Chiefs had to move from their home ground of over 130 years to the new Sandy Park. The capacity at present is 12600 but planning permission is approved to increase capacity to 20600 (that will solve your viewing problem in the South Stand desperado) together with a large 4 star hotel next to the ground.

I have taken the missus to the Chiefs, despite really being a Pirates fan, and it's a great day out, she loved it. I've taken her to Torquay twice, and she won't go again. As she is not overly in to either sport, it's the experience which won her over at Sandy Park. The two times I took her to Torquay games were in Lings play off season, so it's not even that we were in the pits of doom at the time.

I will always take in a couple Torquay games a season, but if I'm off somewhere as a neutral, I'll always choose rugby, as the day out is Just so much more enjoyable. I went to Bath v Gloucester (admittedly in hospitality) and it was a superb day out. Football (TUFC particularly) have so much to learn.

Having said that, I'm off to Malaga v Real Madrid today, so I'll see how the Spanish do it!!

Not in my opinion, but then I am not a great rugby fan. Have been once , paid £40 for a seat in the South
Stand, pitch level, 30 yards behind the posts, couldnt see anything at the far end

That is a pity although I suppose not being a rugby fan does make a difference. Unfortunately you did choose the worst section of the ground for your one and only visit. I have sat in the front row of that stand, for the Premiership semi-final win against Wasps last year, as it was the only place I could get a ticket for that game. Although not a perfect view I thoroughly enjoyed that game.

Yesterday of course was even better. Beating the European champions with a try in the very last seconds. Only 7 of the Chiefs starting line up are internationals, wheras only 2 of the Saracens starters have not played international rugby. The other difference was the number of home grown players including internationals in the Chiefs line up, the two Chiefs tries being scored by a Cornishman and a Torquay lad. I was in East Terrace North Section with a perfect view and with the two Chiefs tries happening right below me.

With the Grecians at Wembley and the Chiefs at Twickenham next week, whatever the Janners may say the vibrant city of Exeter is the sporting capital of the South West.

Of interest to ourselves at TUFC of course is that to progress the Chiefs had to move from their home ground of over 130 years to the new Sandy Park. The capacity at present is 12600 but planning permission is approved to increase capacity to 20600 (that will solve your viewing problem in the South Stand desperado) together with a large 4 star hotel next to the ground.

And you forgot to mention that Henry Slade, who made the win possible with that fantastic penalty kick to the corner, is a former Ivybridge RFC player!

Phil

It's a marathon, not a sprint but sometimes even marathons are a foregone conclusion!